


Bookmarks and Chocolates

by FleetofShippyShips



Series: HP Femslash Ficlets and Drabbles [5]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, HP: EWE, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-14
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-24 11:33:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9722477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FleetofShippyShips/pseuds/FleetofShippyShips
Summary: Hermione's not overly fond of Valentine's day, and after impulsively buying something for Pansy, she's left suddenly realising that she's not sure where they stand.





	

Hermione twisted a piece of her hair nervously. The package in her pocket felt heavier than it ought to. Even in the library, there was no escaping what day it was. Valentine’s day. There was whispering, and some snogging in between the shelves. There was pink everywhere, which Hermione had scoffed at. Too cliché, she thought. Too easy to give a girl something pink and flowery, and covered in hearts.

Her eyes darted over to Pansy. The Slytherin was leaning back in her chair, which was turned out slightly, with one foot resting on the seat next to her, and her book resting on that raised thigh. It was a tad scandalous, given that her skirt has slid up, revealing a rather large patch of inner thigh. Blinking, Hermione glanced back at her notes.

The package only felt heavier, which was ridiculous given what it was. It had been an impulsive purchase, and really, she regretted it. Ever since then, she’d only felt stressed about it. They obviously weren’t exchanging anything, or Pansy would have given her something already. She wasn’t one to waste time.

They could hardly call what they were doing dating anyway. Hermione didn’t care for labels, but one would be helpful, on such a day, just so she’d know what to do. They’d never really gone out anywhere for a date. And they’d only kissed a few times. Well, several times really, but nothing further. They did spend almost every day together after class, in the library, but Hermione was studying. Pansy didn’t really study, even though she got good grades. She was always reading a book though, and she always had a different bookmark.

Which was why Hermione had felt the impulse to buy the one she’d seen in Hogsmeade. Which was stupid. Pansy probably had one like it anyway, in her apparently vast collection. Biting her lip, Hermione looked back down at her notes. She’d written nothing in over an hour.

A soft sigh from across the table drew her attention again. Pansy picked her bookmark up off the table. Royal blue today, with silver embroidered fish, two silver tassels on the bottom, and one silver cord and tassel from the top. The first time she’d seen that one, when Pansy had started that novel, she’d teased her about the Ravenclaw colour.

Pansy slid it into the middle of the book, even though she’d just finished it, and placed the book on the table. She smiled over at Hermione.

“I love a good satisfying ending,” she said. Her eyes darted down to Hermione’s work. “You’ve not done much.”

Hermione scowled. “Bit hard to focus,” she said.

Pansy swept her eyes over her, then peered through the shelves. “I suppose it is a little brighter and louder than usual.”

“You suppose? What were you expecting?” Hermione asked. Some of her irritation over not knowing where they stood was seeping into her tone, but she couldn’t help it.

She wished she’d never got her anything. Now she was stuck not knowing what to do with it. She didn’t want to give Pansy something if the Slytherin didn’t think they were there yet with whatever it was they were doing.

Pansy merely raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at her tone, and stood. “Let’s go,” she said. “You obviously can’t focus.”

Hermione made an annoyed sound, but Pansy was right, even if the cause of her distraction was not their surroundings. As she packed her things, Pansy peered round the shelves nearest them. Hermione ignored her, and started to leave. As much as she normally liked spending time with her, even though they spent more time not talking, she just wanted to get away from her for the rest of the day. If she wasn’t near her, she couldn’t be conflicted about giving her the stupid gift.

A hand gripped her arm, and her bag was pulled from her hand and dumped on the floor. She glared at Pansy as she was backed up against the bookshelf. She did not want to be one of those people snogging in the library on Valentine’s day.

“You’re in a right foul mood,” Pansy said lightly, brushing her thumb over the lines gathering on Hermione’s forehead as her glare deepened.

“Don’t you dare kiss me right now,” Hermione said, startling herself by saying it aloud.

Pansy didn’t look startled at all. “Alright,” she said. She stopped touching Hermione’s face, and slid her hand down her arm instead. She laced their fingers together, turned and picked up Hermione’s and her bag, and then led her out of the library.

Hermione felt her face flush as several eyes turned their way. She looked at where their hands were joined, but couldn’t seem to make herself pull away. They’d never done anything in public, other than sit in the library together. Only Ron and Harry knew they’d kissed at all, and only because she’d told them before thinking she probably shouldn’t.

Pansy led her out of the library, and down the corridor. Hermione was so focused on their hands, and wondering if it meant anything, that she didn’t notice where they were going until Pansy had secreted them into a hidden alcove and dropped their bags.

“The first thing out of your mouth this morning was how much you hated all this Valentine’s day stuff,” Pansy said. “You’ve only become more and more irritated all day.”

Hermione wasn’t sure what the point of saying that was, and shrugged. “It’s a pointless, disruptive holiday,” she said. Which was another reason she felt so stupid for buying Pansy a gift.

“That doesn’t mean you can make everyone else feel like shit for celebrating it,” Pansy replied, starting to look annoyed herself. “Your glaring dampens the mood, a lot.”

“Didn’t think you cared,” Hermione said spitefully.

Pansy stared at her for a moment, before picking up her bag again. She rifled in it for a moment, before pulling out a box and shoving it at her.

“Like I said, the first thing out of your mouth when I saw you today was how stupid you think this all is. Have a good laugh then,” she said, before leaving the alcove.

Hermione blinked after her for a moment, before looking down. The box in her hand was wood, and intricately carved with some sort of geometric design that she instantly loved. Feeling rather terrible, she opened it. Inside she could smell chocolate, but found it hard to believe that’s what the items were. They were intricate miniature books. Coloured and shaped so realistically, she was shocked to find they were chocolates, when she picked one up and sniffed it. Putting it back and closing the lid, she slumped against the wall of the alcove.

Well, she’d rather messed that up then.

* * *

 

All of the eighth-years were housed in the same wing, but Pansy was rooming with Hannah, Padma, and Millicent. Hermione hoped the others weren’t there, when she nervously knocked on the door. Harry had only patted her on the shoulder when she’d sat next to him at dinner. She hadn’t even said anything, and was rather miffed that he seemed to know what was going on. Although, the way Pansy had avoided her gaze all through dinner was telling, for someone who knew about them.

Pansy opened the door, looking guarded, as if she’d expected her. She probably had. Sometimes she seemed to know Hermione almost too well. Or maybe Hermione was really underestimating how close they’d become. Quiet, short conversations during study breaks in the library blurred together for her, and seemed rather meaningless, when they often weren’t. She’d learned that from Harry and Ron.

“I’m sorry,” she said, before she lost her nerve.

“Are you?” Pansy asked, raising an eyebrow, and opening the door further, inviting her in.

Relieved, Hermione walked in, glancing around to see they were alone. Before she could talk herself out of it again, she reached into her pocket, and pulled out her gift, holding it out.

Pansy looked at it for a few moments, before taking it and unwrapping the purple and gold silk handkerchief Hermione had wrapped it in. She stared down at it without commenting. Hermione bit her lip. It was an intricately woven lace bookmark. It was second-hand, and the only reason she’d been able to afford it. It had cleaned up well, and looked new, even if Pansy would probably know anyway. The lace formed the shapes of many flowers and animals down the length, and Hermione was sure it had been crafted with magic. She’d seen Pansy with one or two lace bookmarks that year, and she’d seemed to handle them more reverently than the others.

“I wasn’t sure we were doing this,” she said quietly, unable to bear the silence any longer.

“So you said how much you hated the holiday, before I even had a chance to let you know how I felt by giving you mine?” Pansy asked, but she sounded amused, and Hermione relaxed.

“They were amazing,” Hermione said. “I don’t even want to eat them. And the box, it’s beautiful.”

Pansy nodded, running a finger gently down the bookmark in her hand. “I carved it myself, using magic. This is stunning. Do you know how old it is? It looks early seventeenth century.”

Hermione shook her head. Pansy turned and placed it gently on her desk, before stepping closer, and pulling her into a kiss by her hair. Hermione made an annoyed sound, but pressed back, gripping Pansy’s hips. She didn’t understand why Pansy always grabbed her hair like that. By the time she pulled away again, she had Hermione pressed against the wall, and both hands horribly tangled in her hair.

“Why do you make everything so difficult?” she asked. “If you already had that for me, why make that comment this morning? Why not just give it to me?”

Hermione was still struggling to catch her breath, and felt her face flush. She felt so stupid now, even more stupid than she’d felt before giving it to her.

“I wasn’t sure we were there,” she said, wanting to hide her face. But Pansy was still holding her hair back, and standing so close they were pressed together from the waist down.

Pansy sighed, and rested their foreheads together. “We spend almost every day together,” she said. “I kiss you whenever we’re alone. What did you think we were doing?”

Hermione didn’t know what to say, only feeling more foolish. Pansy seemed to understand, and chuckled. She rubbed circles on Hermione’s scalp with delightful pressure, and Hermione relaxed again. She hadn’t even been aware she’d tensed up.

“So, to be clear then,” Pansy said, looking at her with a soft, amused expression. “We’re dating, and we have been since we kissed after the Christmas party.”

Hermione frowned. “Really? I thought we kissed first at the—”

“Halloween doesn’t count,” Pansy said tensely. “I was drunk, and I don’t remember. We didn’t speak again until the Christmas party anyway, even though we sat together in the library a few times.”

“Alright then,” Hermione agreed. That seemed reasonable, and she’d been a lot less sure about Pansy at Halloween than she had been at Christmas. “Are we going to actually go on a date though? Studying together in the library hardly counts.”

It was such a relief to know where they stood, and Hermione felt most of her anxiety about it melt away. She should have asked sooner, really, and felt a bit silly for avoiding it.

Pansy snorted. “Why not? You like studying, I like reading. We’re doing something together that we both enjoy.”

“Don’t be silly. No one looks at that and thinks we’re dating.”

“Oh,” Pansy said, long and drawn out. “So, what you mean is, are we going to go out in public so people know we’re dating?”

Hermione felt her face heat up. “Don’t you want to?”

Pansy’s eyes were sharp as she searched her face. “Yes, but I’ve been out for years,” she said. “Last anyone knew, you were dating Ron, and before that, Krum.”

It took Hermione a moment to catch her meaning. “Oh, I don’t care about that,” she said with a snort. “What does that matter?”

Pansy blinked at her a few times, then shook her head. “Why have we been sneaking around then? Is it because I’m the witch who tried to give Harry over? Because I’m a Slytherin?”

“If I cared about that, I wouldn’t spend any time with you at all,” Hermione replied with a frown. “You never said anything about going out, and you always kissed me when no one was around. I thought you wanted to keep it secret.”

After staring at her for a moment, Pansy started laughing. She untangled her hands from Hermione’s hair, and covered her mouth. Hermione frowned, and tugged her hands away. Pansy always did that. She had fake laughs for public, but her real, genuine, unrestrained laughter was loud, and caused her whole face to open up, and her body to shake. She hated that Pansy always tried to hide it.

“Okay, obviously we have some communication issues,” Pansy said, between laughs. “We’re both intelligent, how did this happen?”

Hermione watched her laugh a little more, then set her shoulders. She took Pansy’s hand, and started tugging her towards the door.

“Where are we going?” Pansy asked, though she didn’t try to stop her.

“There’s a party in the common room. We’re going to go snog for a bit, and feed each other stupid heart shaped cupcakes. On Saturday, we’ll go have tea together in Hogsmeade, and on Sunday, we’re going shopping in London. There’s some muggle bookstores I want you to see. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you reading Muggle novels.”

Pansy made an amused sound. “Well, once you make your mind up, you sure don’t waste time.”

They’d made it to the common room, and the party was even more crowded than when Hermione had passed through earlier. Before she could think twice, Hermione turned to Pansy, still holding her hand.

“Shut up and kiss me.”

Shaking her head, and still looking entirely too amused, Pansy took her other hand, and leaned forward to kiss her more gently than she usually did. Hermione felt her face flush, as people noticed and reacted around them. Pansy just held her hands more tightly, before turning and smirking at the room. It was a smug, proud expression, that only made Hermione blush more.

Ron was catcalling from beside the table of food, and as Pansy turned and spied the stupid, pink, heart-shaped cupcakes, Hermione pulled her hands free, slid her arms around Pansy’s neck, and kissed her again.

She hadn’t really been serious about the cupcakes.

**Author's Note:**

> Un-beta'd. Written for the Be Mine challenge on [@slytherdornet](http://slytherdornet.tumblr.com/) even though it didn't turn out so sappy or romantic.


End file.
